Live Today... A Cottage Sampler

I can't remember the last time I cross-stitched, but it was long ago... And I don't know why I haven't done it in recent years because I find it so relaxing...

(click any photos to enlarge)

I cross-stitched this little sampler in 1993, back when the house was decorated in a primitive style. I took it down during my cottage/shabby transition because I wasn't sure if it "fit" in with the pastels and florals that I'd fallen in love with...


But with each passing day, each passing week, each passing month and year, I learn more about myself. I've learned that I needn't be so rigid in my thinking about whether something fits... about whether something is the right color... about whether something is "cottagey"...


...because, as it turns out, if it's something I love, or if it holds special meaning, or is handmade with love, or brings back warm memories, it's always going to be the right "style" for the home we live in and love...


... and this little sampler, with its profound motto, is proof of that...
So I dug it out and hung it on the side of the recycling hutch in our kitchen... I think it "fits" in perfectly!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

COMMENT UPDATE 1: Marnie, that is a Morgan Jones full size chenille spread on my small wing chair (and it just fits side to side)... Front to back isn't usually a problem, but to have good side to side coverage over the arms I really prefer a queen for this small wing chair, and I've even used a king size spread on my larger family rooom wing chair (of course that means LOTS of the material is tucked!)

COMMENT UPDATE 2: Jan, I'm afraid I don't remember who designed this cross stitch patter, but it's very similar to many of Nan Caldera's samplers... I just tried to find mine on-line but couldn't come up with anything. However, I did come across this site which has a wide variety of samplers to cross-stitch (I'm eyeing several of them!): http://www.theneedlesart.com/category_results.cfm?Category=62

This Jane Austen sampler especially caught my eye! I might give some serious thought to ordering it! (just click the photo below to go directly to that sampler on The Needle's Art site):

Comment Update 3: I just found my samplers on that same site, if anyone is interested. Just click on the photo below to go directly to the source for this sampler:


Happy Stitching!

Donna

The Great (Cottage) Pumpkin Patch

I have finally mastered Halloween minimalism (I used to decorate to the hilt when my girls were young)... I still decorate traditionally outside, but since I've succeeded in going bare bones (no pun intended) inside, I wanted the few things I do put out to match my new color palette. My old black, orange and gold decorations looked great when I had prim decor, but with the cottage style... not so much... So look at what I got last year! (click any of the photos for a closeup look at the beautiful fabrics... and there's a link at the bottom of my post telling where you can purchase these!!)

Have you ever seen such a yummy, shabby/cottage pumpkin patch in your life? It was so much fun getting these out again this year... I LOVE them!


Just look at these luscious colors!! And these are my only fall/Halloween decorations now... Talk about making life simple for myself!! (I'm beginning to see why people embrace minimalism!)


This sweet little pumpkin looks great in my mom's old crystal candy dish...


And I think this is perfect on top of the pie safe!


Oooh, this big one is just the right size for the coffee table...

Awww, this pink & white striped one goes great in the kitchen!

The colors in this one even match the lotus blossoms in my swan PBN!

Flea market cat loves how he looks next to this cottage blue one...

Now if you want your own cottage pumpkin patch, it's as easy as pie!!!

Go visit Ronda at Cherry Blossom Cottage. She has them in stock right now!

I have always been so pleased with everything I've gotten from her, which is why her shop has been on my sidebar since day one... I've gotten office chair slipcovers from her (to die for), and I got my little pink toolbox from her, too (although I don't know if she carries those anymore)... In addition to her beautiful creations, she carries a wide variety of vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces! Her prices are very reasonable and her shipping is very quick... so hurry on over there if you want some soft cottage pumpkins for yourself!

So thank you, Ronda!!! I just love all my goodies and can't wait to see what you're stitching up for Christmas (Try as I might, I just can't seem to get a handle on Christmas minimalism!!)

Donna

Shabby PINK chenille scarf...

I was absolutely smitten when I spotted this reversible chenille/patchwork scarf on ETSY a couple of years ago... It was being sold as a neck scarf, but I'm using it on the small CD case at the end of our hallway...


The colors are predominantly pink on pink, although some squares feature pink flowers on a robin's egg blue background...


It gives some 'oomph' to an otherwise plain CD case...


The ends of the scarf have the sweetest tassels... Nothing compares to handmade, and ETSY is full of the most talented people selling their creations.


This is the other end with its tassels, lace, and fringe...


Luscious pink roses and pink crocheted detailing...


And the reverse side is made from the flowered section of a pale pink vintage chenille spread, which is so pretty...

Don't forget to check out everybody else's PINK SATURDAY posts at How Sweet the Sound!!!

Donna

A blast from the past... (The Dining Area)

This is how our dining room is decorated now (made with that fun Flickr toy!)...


I love the light, bright cottage look, but I'll always have a soft spot for primitive decor, which is how I used to decorate. Just today, I came across some old pictures from the 90's...


The photos below show the furniture before my 'makeovers,' when it was still stained dark brown, and before the blue chandelier was painted white. The jelly cupboard still sits in that same corner, but back then the hutch was turned to make a dividing wall between the dining area and living room, and the trestle table was positioned differently. Also absent are the old windows we eventually hung above the half wall ...


(click on this picture to enlarge all 3 photos)

The first photo was mid-90's with stenciling on the upper walls; the next two were from the late 90's, after we'd purchased new chairs (the old ones were falling apart), put up a Warren Kimble wallpaper border, and painted the lower walls... But I sure don't miss our old wall to wall carpeting! With kids, cats, and dogs, it always needed to be steam cleaned!!
It was fun coming across these as I hadn't seen them in quite a while. I really like the prim look but the older I get, the more I prefer a lighter color palette (maybe it has something to do with wanting the house be bright and cheerful during the long, dark New England winters!)...

Donna

Hutch Makeover - From Prim & Proper to Shabby Cottage

This was our dining room hutch three years ago... We had so many projects going on back then, and this was one of them...


Like all of our furniture, this little hutch started out as an inexpensive piece of unfinished furniture. And, like everything else back in my prim days, it was immediately stained dark brown. (How do you like the plywood subfloors that I painted white? After ripping out our ancient wall to wall carpet, we lived with those for 2 years until we could afford hardwood floors last year. I could never do white floors again - too much work to keep clean!)


But about 3 years ago the cottage bug hit me, so this is how it looks today. I also happened to take possession of my Nana's china during that same time period...


So I refer to it as "Nana's hutch" because I have all of her old china displayed on the shelves and stored inside... I placed a favorite photo of my Nana between two dinner plates on the plate rack above the hutch (perhaps taken about the same time as she picked out this china, as she's a young woman in the photo). Below that is a 1950's photo of my mom and Nana (her mom), with my mom's crystal candy dish on the shelf right below.


The glass knobs and rose & cherub appliques really help with the "prim to cottage" transformation! (The large framed photo is my mom and dad in front of their Niagara Falls honeymoon cottage back in 1951!)


I don't know if it is 'proper' decorating or not, but I love having all the photos of Nana's side of the family mixed in with her good china, and I think she'd really like it, too!


Here's a close up of the pattern and a photo of my mom and dad from the early 80's... So thanks, Nana! I love the pattern as much as you did when you picked it out so many years ago!! I think it's just perfect for my little cottage!!

Donna